A Journey to Katmandu eBook

and fatiguing to the muscles of any other legs than
those of the Nepaulese, who keep continually doubling
up the leather and treading it out again, and putting
their feet to all sorts of uses, in which, if we had
properly cultivated the gifts of nature, we should,
doubtless, be equally skilled. At present our
great object is to make our feet look smaller than
they naturally are, and even in that the Chinese excel
us, civilized though we be. The result of so
much beating and treading was a number of leather
cartridge-boxes, which could not have been harder had
they been deal; so the means did not justify the end,
and perhaps after all we make better use of our feet
than the Nepaulese tanners do.

In another part of the establishment was a gang of
men engaged in twisting gun-barrels, turning out wonderful
productions, considering the rude method employed.

The stocks were more easily fabricated, and the whole
musket justified the pride with which it was exhibited;
but Jung is no longer satisfied with the productions
of the Nepaulese gunmakers. He visited a gun-manufactory
at Birmingham, and was most disagreeably surprised
by finding how different was the English mode of manufacturing
the implements of war from that employed in Nepaul.

In England Jung had seen brass guns cast by the score
during his short visit to the foundry. Here
they were being cast at the rate of one every two
or three months. The metal is not allowed to
run into the mould in a continuous stream, but is
ladled in, thereby rendering the gun liable to flaws.
There were many other improvements which it would
have been obvious to a practised eye were needed in
the gun-factory of Nepaul; and it was plain enough
that everything was rough and clumsy; but Jung had
paid especial attention to these subjects while in
England, and intends speedily to introduce an improved
system. How long it will be ere he will have
a steam-foundry established in Katmandu time alone
can show.

CHAPTER XII.

Kindness of the Mahila Sahib—­His motive—­Drawing-room
ornaments—­Visit to the palace of Jung Bahadoor—­A
trophy of the London season—­Grand Durbar
at the reading of the Queen of England’s letter—­Dress
of the officers—­Review of troops—­Dancing
boys.

The Mahila Sahib, the younger brother of his Majesty,
was a very pleasant-looking young man, with a much
more amiable expression of countenance than his royal
brother, and professed to be one of Jung’s greatest
friends and allies. As a compliment to the minister,
he politely requested us to pay him a visit, an invitation
of which we were glad to avail ourselves, since it
proved his kindly feeling towards our host, whilst
it gave us an opportunity of inspecting the menage
of a Nepaulese Prince Royal.